Building an electronic music box - need help

[nerdstatus1]

So I'm building an electronic music box for my fiance for Valentines day.

Here is what I am using:

A knock off mp3 player (loaded with a song by Il Divo)
A snap action switch
Cheap speaker from Walmart
Wire/solder

I'm new to anything like this, it just seemed like a simple DIY project I could do.

I plan on taking apart the mp3 player and using the wire to connect the mp3 circuit board to one side of the switch, and the battery to the other. From there I'd just hook in the speaker to the headphone jack of the mp3 player to play the sound. In my mind...that seems like it would work.

I already have the mp3 player, the switch, and the speaker.

My questions are these:

1. Can I get wire/solder anywhere for cheap? I don't need very much, so I'd prefer not to buy in bulk or anything...just the smallest amount. Or if there's somewhere to look for scrap pieces or anything.

2. Is there a specific type of wire used for something like this?
3. Is there a specific way the wiring has to be hooked up? In my mind...it just seems like you'd hook one wire from the mp3 to one end of the switch, and a wire from the other end to the battery.
4. After thinking about that....where would I connect the wire to the mp3 player and battery? I've seen it done in a couple videos, but I'm not sure how they went about it.


I just need a little guidance through this project. It doesn't seem too difficult....but I just don't know anything about circuits and all that. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

NS1

 

[Inquisitive]

Depends on where on the globe you are. How do we determine cost effective. If we recommend from the wrong side of the world, cheap is consumed by shipping cost. Help us help you by narrowing it down please. This being an international site we have members from all over that can help but we need to know a bit more. Thanks

 

[nerdstatus1]

I'm located in Utah, USA. Thanks for the heads up!

NS1

 

[Inquisitive]

Okay, stateside. Radio Shack, Mouser, Digikey, Jameco, Allied Electronics, Fry's Electronics and that is just a few.

 

[cowboybob]

Welcome, nerdstatus1!

I've modified (to a lesser and greater degree) a number of different of MP3 players.

Can you provide well focused JPEGs of it "guts" (PCB top and bottom, closeups of ALL current wire connections to the PCB, any other pics you think useful) once you have apart?

And, not all MP3 players start playing music on power up. Does yours?

 

[audioguru]

You have an MP3 player with a headphones jack.
You have a speaker.
But where is the audio power amplifier that connects in between?
Maybe the speaker must be held directly to your ear and will play very softly?

 

[alec_t]

What is the rating (ohms, watts) of the speaker? It will almost certainly need an amplifier (as AG mentions) to drive it from the feeble output of the MP3 player. Some sort of power supply for the amp would probably be needed, too.

 

[nerdstatus1]

This is more or less what I'm going for:

Small speakers taken apart, the switch on the right, and the taken-apart mp3 player under the bundle of cords (not exactly your well-focused closeup jpeg, sorry cowboybob..haha)

 

[nerdstatus1]

And here is a link to a video of kinda what I'm going for:

 

[nerdstatus1]

And a couple links to what I planned on using:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DWR2HI/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Z7Q1H2/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Imicro-SP-IMMINIR-IMICRO-NOTEBOOK-MINI-SPEAKER-R/30446212

 

[audioguru]

Your little speakers need a audio power amplifier and proper enclosures. The amplifier will need a battery. Without an amplifier then they will barely be heard and without proper enclosures they will sound very tinny.
The video also did not use an audio power amplifier or proper enclosures.

The Walmart Mini Speakers have an audio power amplifier and enclosures but the amplifier is powered from a computer USB port. The speakers are so small that they will produce no bass sounds.

 

[nerdstatus1]

Thanks audioguru. Any idea if I can find something similar to those walmart speakers that don't need the USB port or power source? I'm not sure what a power amplifier is or proper enclosures, so I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

 

[audioguru]

Thanks audioguru. Any idea if I can find something similar to those walmart speakers that don't need the USB port or power source? I'm not sure what a power amplifier is or proper enclosures, so I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

The headphones power output is much too low to drive speakers. If you connect speakers to the headphones output then if you hold the speakers directly to your ears then the sound will be at a very low level. An audio power amplifier "amplifies" the level so it is loud enough to be heard anywhere in a room. The amplifier needs a power supply or a battery.

A speaker has a cone that vibrates to make sounds. If it has no enclosure then the sounds from the rear come around and cancel the sounds from the front, especially cancelling low frequencies.
A small speaker cannot produce low frequencies anyway. An enclosure is usually sized and designed to the spec's of a speaker and must not be too small or it reduces low frequencies.

The Walmart mini speakers might be OK if you power them from a 6V battery made from four AAA or AA alkaline cells in series.

 

[cowboybob]

And here is a link to a video of kinda what I'm going for:

Looks good to me.

The parts list you posted is good, except for the speakers: they require 5VDC whereas the speakers in the video do not.

I'd mimic the video, except perhaps the USB port cable adaptation.

 

[nerdstatus1]

Thanks for the help guys.

Cowboybob (or anyone else):

I'd like to mimic the video, but do you have any idea how he has attached the wire from the switch to the mp3? Did he solder the wire to some part on the mp3? If so where? I'm not sure how to connect that part..

audioguru - I'll look into different speakers then and try the battery technique. Do I need anything special to connect those or set it up? I literally don't know anything about circuits or electronics or any of this stuff...haha any help is appreciated.

 

[cowboybob]

...I'd like to mimic the video, but do you have any idea how he has attached the wire from the switch to the mp3? Did he solder the wire to some part on the mp3? If so where? I'm not sure how to connect that part...

Re-watch the video. The re-wiring of the battery connection to the on/off switch on the MP3 player was pretty clear, to me at least.

Carefully take your MP3 apart and, just as carefully, photograph where the battery wires attach to the circuit board. Then post those pics here on ETO. Focus will be very important.

I'll PhotoShop the pic(s) with arrows to indicate the soldering point(s).

 

[nerdstatus1]

Here's a couple up close pics of the mp3 taken apart. Am I just attaching new wires to where the battery connects to the circuit board? If so...how do I go about removing them?

Any instructions here help

 

[nerdstatus1]

Just realized I posted a thumbnail instead of the full image, so here it is again:

 

[audioguru]

Your camera has horrible focus.

 

[cowboybob]

Here's a couple up close pics of the mp3 taken apart. Am I just attaching new wires to where the battery connects to the circuit board? If so...how do I go about removing them?

Any instructions here help

How comfortable are you with soldering techniques?

To avoid having to do any soldering on the PCB itself (which can be difficult, depending on your level of expertise), it might be best to just cut the current yellow battery line (at the red arrow in the pic) in two and splice your new switch in between them.

DON"T over-exercise the wire(s) still attached to the PCB. Doing so will weaken them and possibly break them where they attach to the PCB.

Insulate your splice work thoroughly.

That's all that's necessary. Use the existing ear buds connector for your speaker hook up.